The Children of the Four
by Katherine-Magnolia
Summary: The sequel to The Three Children of Briar and Sandry. Hope you enjoy it.
1. Chapter One

((Here it is, the sequel to The Three Children of Briar and Sandry. I took a while coming out with it because I was working on my Wheel of Time fic, Zarkot and Jeriana. Sorry for the delay but at least I finally came out with it, right?))  
  
AGES: I'm starting this one out with ages, at this time. If a new character comes in then his/her name will come as well. Some of these characters aren't in the first chapter but trust me they'll show up: Tristan-16 Steel and Silver- 16 Kynara- 13 Lissien- 11 Numair- 14 Bronze- 10 Sandry, Briar, Trisana, Daja- 36 Platinum- 6 Gold- 3 Jasmine- 15  
  
Tristan groaned as she rolled out of her bed. Well, it was more like a bunk. A slab of wood against a wall with two more above it wasn't exactly a bed. She was always afraid that one of the other two would fall and she would be crushed, but she had been stuck on the bottom. Lucky Lissien had the top because she was the smallest. For the other set Bronze was on top with Numair on the bottom and Kynara in the middle.  
  
Stretching Tristan quickly dressed and opened the door. A small, narrow set of stairs ran up to the dock where bright sunlight shone. She could hear the voices of the crew, as usual she had overslept again and everyone else, except for Kynara, was probably up.  
  
"Hey Tris!" Bronze called as he jumped down from a rope to land in front of her. He was smiling widely, bright white teeth flashing against his dark brown skin. He wasn't wearing a shirt again, only a pair of white breeches. Over the six months they had been on the shore he'd become a sailor of sorts and was starting to get muscles on his skinny frame. They had celebrated his tenth birthday about four months ago.  
  
"Good morning Bronze," Tristan replied. "Where are Lissien and Copper?"  
  
"Where else?" Bronze asked. Her pointed to the front of the ship. "Up there talking and watching for land. I think Lissien is starting to get tired of the ocean. And Numair is talking with the captain. He's feeling rather ill, he misses plants I think."  
  
Tristan ruffled Bronze's short black hair and said, "Thanks." Then she walked to the front of the ship where she found Lissien and Copper starring longingly at the horizon. Lissien was dressed in a pretty purple silk dress while Copper wore more sensible breeches and a short-sleeved tunic. Lissien had her night black hair in twin thin braids, a small button nose, delicate white skin and bright cornflower blue eyes, she looked exactly like Sandry did. Lissien also had thread-magic like her mother. Copper had black hair in many small braids, dark skin, and dark brown eyes. Her magic was with stones. "Watching for something?" Tristan asked as she sat down beside them.  
  
Lissien sighed and said, "Land. More then anything I want to feel solid land beneath my feet!" Her hands twitched and she smiled. "Okay more then anything I want the feel of working a loom." She had worked through countless embroideries during their six months at sea. She'd also spun a good thirty feet of silk rope.  
  
"I wouldn't mind land either," Copper admitted. In her hand she held a smooth black rock. It had been ragged and sharp when she had come on the ship. It had been worn smooth by her hands though. "I miss the feeling of all those rocks around me."  
  
Tristan smiled as a friendly little breeze came and lifted her curly red hair around her face. "I like it here," she admitted. "There is a breeze almost all the time and when there isn't then I can call one up easier then I could back home."  
  
Copper rolled her eyes as Numair walked up, a smile on his face. He had golden-brown skin that had darkened for time in the sun. His hair was black and curly, cut close to his head and his eyes were a mischievous gray- green. In short he was the exact replica of Briar, right down to the plant- magic he had. "Hello girls," he said as he sat down. "I just finished talking with the captain and he said that we should be in port within two days."  
  
Lissien and Copper jumped up at the same time and began to dance. "Hurray!" Lissien shouted. "Land!"  
  
"If you're that eager to get there," Tristan said with a smile. "Then I can shorten the time down to one day."  
  
Numair thought about it and nodded. "Yeah do that," he said. "I'm beginning to feel, wilted almost. It's been far too long since I've been near green things."  
  
"All right," Tristan said, rolling up her sleeves. She went to the prow of the ship and lifted her arms up. After a moment a stronger wind began to blow and the ship picked up speed. She lowered her eyes and sat back down. "Make that half a day I think," she said, gray eyes sparkling.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*  
  
Daja was ready to scream. Her husband was off collecting some more metal for the forge, four of her six children were not at home and the other two were busy making her life a living hell. "Shurri Firesword!" she swore as Gold knocked a vase off of a table. "Gold get back here right now! Platinum you too," she yelled. The two gilt-faced children walked up to her. Platinum looked as much like Daja as Lissien looked like Sandry while Gold looked more like his father.  
  
"Now Platinum," she said in a gentle voice. "I want you to take your brother and go play in the park. I'll send daddy to get you when he comes home, okay?"  
  
"Okay," Platinum said happily, grabbing her little brother's hand. "But what about Silver or Steel? And where did Copper and Bronze go?"  
  
Daja sighed and waved her hand. "Just go and play Platinum, okay?" Once the door closed behind her two youngest children she sank into a chair and began to sob. "Oh my babies," she cried as she thought of Copper and Bronze. "Why did you go?"  
  
((I know it is a little short but hey, it's fine. I know Daja isn't really that sentimental but if your children ran away wouldn't you be?)) 


	2. Chapter Two

((Thanks for the review Purple Eyes1. I'm glad that someone was waiting for the sequel. Tristan might have learned her lesson about meddling with nature in the last book, but she might have forgotten...hahaha())  
  
Sandry finished braiding her light brown hair and hid a smile when she saw a young man huddled near the railing of the ship. "Feeling any better Nikan?" she asked the young man.  
  
Nikan looked up and glared at Sandry with dark brown eyes. "I swear that this is the worst idea you've ever had in your life," he said. Then he face went pale green and he threw up over the side.  
  
"We've been on this ship for about six months now," Sandry told him as she rubbed his back. "Surely you should be use to the it by now."  
  
"I think it's all in his mind," Steel said. He was sitting on the rail of the ship, holding on to a rope so that he wouldn't be thrown into the sea. "I don't find anything wrong with the ship. Except for I don't have my forge, and there is almost no fire."  
  
"Fire on a ship isn't a good idea, it's made of wood after all," Sandry told him as Nikan shuddered and lay back down. "I'll go see if Lark has a charm she can use to help ease your pain. She should have given you one months ago."  
  
"Why didn't you make one, Aunt Sandry?" Steel asked. "You're just as strong a thread-mage as is Dedicate Lark."  
  
"Lark has always been better at charms though," Sandry told him as she strode past the rail, "While I am better at weaving and sewing."  
  
"I heard that," the smiling Dedicate said as Sandry sat beside her. She was working with some thread in her lap. "And as it happens I am making a charm for Nikan at this very moment. I didn't give it to him earlier because this is a rather difficult charm and I thought it would just take him awhile to get used to the motion of the ship."  
  
As Sandry and Lark talked about charms and weaves Silver came up to them with the captain of the ship in tow. "The wind has picked up," Silver told them. "And I know it is not natural."  
  
Sandry looked up at Silver and asked, "Do you think it is Tristan?" Her voice was eager; she missed her daughter very much. That's why they were all out on this ship; they were searching for Sandry's runaway children Tristan, Numair, and Lissien. Along with Trisana's daughter Kynara and Daja's children Copper and Bronze.  
  
Actually Tristan was not Sandry's blood-daughter. She was the daughter of Briar and Trisana. It had happened six months before Briar had wed Sandry. So Sandry and Briar had taken the child and raised her as a noble, as Sandry's daughter. Half a year ago Tristan had found out when she had a fit of rage and called up a horrible storm. Trisana had calmed her by telling her the truth. That was the reason they all were out here; Tristan had found out her entire life was a lie.  
  
"I do believe it is Tristan," Silver said. "I can see the magic in the wind. If you look closely then so could you."  
  
"Magic is the only way that the Teal Lioness could have stayed ahead of us for this long," Sandry said. "After all Captain Gerin here said that the Silver Wind was the fastest ship in port."  
  
Captain Gerin actually blushed a bit. "I am sorry about that ma'm," he said. "But I said 'in port', and the Teal Lioness can actually match the Silver Wind for speed if need be. And if those folk you are chasing are on the Teal then she will go fast."  
  
Sandry cursed and then said, "I wish that we had dragged Trisana along with us. She could conjure up a wind stronger then Tristan's and we could catch her."  
  
"Tristan's wind does affect us," Silver said. "Just not near as much as it affects the ship she is on."  
  
"Meddling with the weather is no way to do things," Lark said. "Tristan better be careful of what she does."  
  
"I sure hope she is careful," Sandry said with a worried glance towards the front of the ship. "I do not want any of my children to be harmed."  
  
"She is not your blood," Silver pointed out. "And before she was gone she felt unloved by you. Why do you worry so about her now?"  
  
"Despite her not being my daughter I love her," Sandry said. "No matter whats happens I always will love her and I want her to know that."  
  
((Sorry it's so short!!)) 


	3. Chapter Three

((Okay here goes the third chapter to this story. Sorry it's taking me so long to get it going but I haven't had many ideas for it as of late. Now I have one and I decided I better write it down before it goes away! New penname by the way if you did not notice!))  
  
Lissien was fairly bursting with excitement as she shook Kynara awake. "Wake up Kynara!" she sang out. "We've docked, we're at port! Land, land, land!"  
  
The other girl groaned and sat up. Lissien flashed a grin at her before running up the stairs. Cries of, "Land, land, land!" drifted back to her.  
  
"Too happy," Kynara said as she pulled on her clothes and picked up her bag. "Although land will be a welcome change to sea." She picked up her dark gray hooded cloak and put it on. Like all of her cloaks the hood hid her face well. But it was getting too short she had grown again. "Maybe I can have Lissien make me a new one," she muttered as she walked up the stairs.  
  
The bright sunlight assaulted her eyes and she withdrew deeper into her cloak. Her eyes were made for night, which would have been why she normally slept through the day and woke during the night. It would also explain why her skin was as pale as a ghost.  
  
As she walked towards the gangplank one of the sailors looked up and saw her. His face paled and he stumbled out of the way, nearly running. She sighed softly. That man had seen her one night when she wasn't wearing a hooded cloak. Her silver hair had been nearly as much a shock to him as her fire red eyes were.  
  
"Kynara!" Bronze called as he ran up to. For the first time in months he was actually wearing a shirt. "Come on, everyone else is off the ship and the captain says he wants to leave port since we were being followed." He nearly pulled her arm off as he yanked her towards the dock.  
  
Once she was off the ship Kynara pushed Bronze away and straightened her cloak. She was amused by what she saw. Copper, Bronze's older sister, was kneeling on the stone-cobbled way kissing the stones. Lissien was simply dancing around while Numair had his eyes closed as he touched a very small flower. Tristan was the only one who seemed slightly calm.  
  
"We need to get going," Tristan told the others. "If they sent someone searching for us then we will be wanting to be gone from here soon."  
  
"Good idea," Numair said, straightening. "I'll go ask around and see where exactly it is that we've landed." Then he was gone.  
  
Lissien calmed down enough to send a look after her brother that could have withered his precious plants. "He should have taken one of us with him," she said. "We don't know where we are and it isn't right for him to just go off alone like that! He should have waited for someone to tell him it was all right."  
  
Kynara looked at her and smiled. That girl was a noble at heart and it showed true sometimes. Of course Numair was a noble too, but he did not show it very much. "Someone needs to look around," she said in her quiet voice. "Since he had so much experience with street rats back in Summersea he should have no problem with them here." She felt a tingle in the back of her mind then and added, "There was a search party sent out for us. They will arrive here about a day and a half."  
  
Everyone looked at her, even Copper stood up from kissing the stones. Kynara rarely spoke and when she did everyone listened to her. "A day and a half?" Tristan asked and Kynara nodded. "Well then we had better be out of here or well-hidden in that time."  
  
Bronze looked over towards an alley and said, "Numair is back."  
  
Numair walked up to them smiling. "I found out where it is we are," he said proudly.  
  
"So tell us," Lissien demanded. Her blue eyes were sharp as was her tone.  
  
With a mocking bow Numair said, "Yes my Lady." He looked up and smiled before going on.  
  
"So," Tristan said when he had finished. "We're in Rekout. I have never heard of it before." Her gray eyes flashed, that obviously upset her. Kynara suppressed a grin; her half-sister seemed to think anything she didn't know had purposely hid itself from her.  
  
"That might be because it is six months of sea travel outside of our home," Numair explained. "Even farther then the Isles grandfather and grandmother died on. We were lucky that we got on this ship, it's one of the few that has managed to get this far. A lot of ships, even Trader ships, have been sunk in storms on the way."  
  
"I thought that was a risk," Tristan said. "So I made that storm turn into a light rain with good winds, not the near hurricane it wanted to be."  
  
Lissien whirled on her sister, blue eyes flashing. The twin braids in her hair whipped against her face. "Mother told you not to mess around with the weather anymore!" she snapped. "She said it was a risk you should not take, she said it could kill you or everyone if you got carried away." The small girl was actually shaking.  
  
Tristan looked at her sister and Kynara feared she was about to yell. But then the girl's sharp gray eyes softened and she hugged Lissien. "I'm sorry for scaring you," she told her. "Really I am. But if I had not done that then we would all be dead anyhow. If I have to mess with the weather then I keep a strict rein on what I do, most of the time."  
  
Lissien nodded and her shaking stopped. "What are we going to do now?" Copper asked. "We're in a country that none of us has ever even heard of and we have people who want to drag us home by the scruff of our necks and probably beat us every step of the way. I personally think that I want to be as far from these docks as I can get in the next day."  
  
"I agree with her," Bronze said, shifting from foot to foot. "If Steel, Silver, or mother are on that boat then I want to be in the next country before they set foot in this one! They are probably a little upset with us."  
  
Kynara arched an eyebrow and pulled her cloak closer. "A little upset Bronze?" she asked. "They will be furious enough to make us all wish that we were never born. Now I propose that we find somewhere and buy a map and if these people do not accept our money then we can sell some of the hangings that Lissien made and buy one, along with food and other supplies. If that does not work then we can have Numair steal it. Then we get out of here before four hours have passed."  
  
Everyone looked at her and then Lissien nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. Here, everyone take some of the gold that we brought and about ten hangings. Let's meet back here in four hours and see what happens. Oh yeah, just so we don't all get maps I'll do it."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Four hours later  
  
Kynara was sitting on a box with her hood down when the others finally arrived. It seemed that the money they had was worth more then it was at home, so they had managed to scrape together quite an assortment of items. Not to mention how much money they had gotten for selling Lissien's silk hangings.  
  
Copper shouldered her pack and looked around. "We're all here now," she said. "So can we get going?"  
  
"Where is it that we are going exactly?" Bronze asked.  
  
Lissien looked at her map and said, "We are going to go northwest. It seems to have plenty of forest and only a few cities. Hopefully our pursuers will not think we went that way. At the very least they will take a very long time to find us."  
  
Kynara said nothing as they started off. They had decided to walk in a single file line through the forest, why she had no idea. In the line was Bronze in the front then Lissien, Kynara, Copper, Tristan, and Numair bringing up the rear. It would be an interesting trip at the very least.  
  
((That one was slightly longer.)) 


End file.
